A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, favorites and follows after last chapter! Huge thank you to lanamarymack and Angela 007 for alpha/beta reading this chapter :D You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter nineteen and be on the lookout for chapter twenty soon!


As they walked away into the trees, everyone grabbed a small vial of a thick, reddish substance. Hermione did the same, tipping the vial back and forth to watch the viscosity of the fluid. It didn't take long to realize that it was blood.

"From the goat?" she wondered aloud.

Tom nodded in agreement, still leading her away from the gathering place.

"What is happening?" she asked Tom, confused about what was going on as each of the Knights of Walpurgis went their separate ways.

"This is more of a solo ritual," he explained. "A bit of blood magic and the thin veil between our world and the world of the dead means that everyone can connect with loved ones who have passed. Most people would prefer to do that privately. Do you have someone you might want to contact?"

Harry.

The name appeared in her mind unbidden, even though she couldn't quite picture his face. Had he worn glasses? Yes, she decided that she did. She bit her lower lip. "Yes, I think I would like to try," she said, hesitantly.

"Then I will show you," Tom suggested, before pulling her away from the clearing, until they could find a secluded spot among the trees.

Fully isolated from the rest of the wizards, Tom explained how to use the goat's blood in the vial to draw runes on the tree bark and the incantation to speak. And then, he took a few steps away from her so that she would be able to attempt it on her own.

Hermione did as he bade and tried to focus on Harry's image in her mind's eye. She wanted to speak to him, felt that she had to speak to him, really, but she wasn't sure why. A gust of wind whipped through the trees, sending some leaves into the air and Hermione thought that it might really be working. She spoke the incantation clearly and with purpose and she waited, eager, for Harry's face to appear with its ghostly pallor...

Only, nothing happened.

It took her a few moments to realize that it wasn't going to work for her. She felt as if her world had dropped out from under her and tried to pinpoint what she'd done wrong. She tried it again, reapplying the blood and speaking the words again, so that she was sure that she had gotten it right, only...she had failed.

Making a noise of frustration, she ripped the mask from her face and threw it to the ground. She pressed her back up against the tree and pulled her knees to her chest, wishing she hadn't gotten her hopes up so high. She hated feeling like she was a failure. It was made all the worst to know that Abraxas Malfoy was off chatting to whoever he decided to call.

Shuffling leaves reminded her of Tom's presence. He sat down next to her. "Problem?" he asked, tentatively, clearly unsure of how to console an upset witch.

"I'm just annoyed," she admitted. "It wouldn't work for me. Do you think...do you think it's because I'm muggleborn?" she asked, biting her lower lip, Antonin's words coming to her mind once again. It felt almost like a betrayal to herself to speak the words out loud, but she had to know.

"No, I don't think that had anything to do with it," he said. "Unless...were you trying to contact a muggle?"

Hermione didn't know if Harry was a muggle or not. She couldn't remember. Thinking about it made her head ache and so she pushed the thoughts away, unwilling to engage with them at the moment. "I don't care anyways," she said, not caring if Tom thought she was acting petulant. "Divination is stupid."

He chuckled under his breath. "Just because we found a bit of magic that you struggle with doesn't mean it's stupid," he teased. "I've had plenty of success with Divination. If you know how to interpret what you are given."

"Do you have someone you want to contact?" she asked, wiping her dirty hands on her robes. "I could leave and give you a bit of privacy."

"No, no," he dismissed the idea, vehemently. "I never try to contact anyone. Once I tried to contact my mother, but she was spectacularly useless. She just thought that I was my father and no amount of convincing her could change her mind. Anyone else from my lineage worth contacting is too distant to call. There is no point to it, really."

Hermione was glad that she wouldn't have to return to the table alone, to sit around until everyone else was finished with their magical moment that she didn't get to have. And, she was glad to have a bit of unexpected time alone with Tom - not having to share him with Abraxas or Edmond or Alfie or any of the lot.

She turned to face him, a mischievous look on her face. "I have some ideas of how we might pass the time, if you are interested?" she asked, not bothering to hide the way her eyes lingered on his lips.

"I'm very interested," he said, his breath visible from the cold temperature.

Hermione turned to face him, surging forward until their lips met in a familiar kiss. She deepened it immediately, sighing when his tongue tangled with hers. Tom quickly took control, pulling her until she was in his lap, his hands pressed to her waist. Hermione felt effervescent and light in his embrace, suddenly focused on Tom and only Tom.

It felt as though they had kissed a hundred times at this point, but she was certain that she would never get bored of it. Of the connection that seemed to burn between them. There was something about him that was always driving her forward, making her crave more and more until all she could think about was him. She wanted this wizard more than she'd ever wanted anything.

Cursing her dress, she pulled the long fabric of the skirt up so that she could more comfortably sit across him, until they were fully pressed against one another. Placing her hands on his broad shoulders, she found herself wishing for her wand so she could remove the pesky layers between them. She remembered the powerful way that she'd felt in his flat when she'd sat atop him, his pale abdomen revealed to her. She wanted to see more of him, all of him.

Tom pulled her hair over one shoulder and pressed kisses to the side of her neck, to the top of her decolletage. She could feel her heart hammering away against her ribcage and wondered if he could feel how wildly it beat for him. Cautiously, she brought her fingers to the edge of his mask, only to pull it up over his head, revealing his true visage to her once again.

His dark blue eyes caught hers, made all the more dark by his naked desire for her. Her breath caught in her throat when he tugged the fabric of her dress down so that he could place his lips around her nipple, his tongue sliding against the hardened bud.

Oh Merlin, she needed more. Hermione felt like her whole body was buzzing with unspent magic. Nearly against her will, her hips began to rock against his body, looking for any friction. If he didn't touch her, she was positive she would burst into flame, like the bonfires burning brightly in the clearing. Pulling him back up to her lips, she gave him another searing kiss with her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

One hand found her hair, holding her against him just how he wanted her, while the other slipped into the space between their bodies. Hermione moaned when his knuckles brushed against that spot hidden away by the soft cotton of her knickers. She couldn't believe how slick she felt from just a few kisses, but then again, Tom seemed to have a unique ability to make her slip into her baser desires.

Not to be outdone, her hands joined his. Greedy fingers found the snap of his trousers and worked quickly to slip inside, grasping his hard shaft for a second time. She knew, now, that she needed to have him, right then and there on the floor of the forest.

Tom seemed possessed by the same need and he lifted his hips, helped her to pull down his trousers. A whispered, wandless spell later and her knickers had been banished. Normally, she would have had a thousand questions to ask him about the show of skill, but in the moment she was too focused on his body under hers and his cock in her hand.

Feeling brave, she took the head of his cock and slid him through her slickness, until it found her entrance. Sinking down slowly, she melted against his chest, pressing her face into his shoulder, hoping to muffle the sound of her pleasure. It took her a moment to adjust to the feeling once he was fully inside her, but she was quickly overwhelmed by how perfect it felt to be one with him.

Tom dug his fingers into her hips, prompting her to move. She rose up onto her knees, only to sink back down. His head fell back against the trunk, and she felt a surge of power in her. That she had such control over such a dangerous wizard.

They found a rhythm together, Tom guiding her movements, while also rocking his hips to meet her. Leaning back and holding onto his shoulders, she found that each stroke was finding a precise spot deep inside of her that had her turning to mush. She could feel herself tightening around him, pulled closer and closer to that ultimate pleasure with each roll of their hips.

While they started out slow, the pace quickly turned frenetic as they each drew closer to release. Hermione stared deep into Tom's eyes and felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the intensity in them. She wasn't sure how, but she just knew that he was feeling as strongly for her and she did for him. It made her body clench unexpectedly, a low moan escaping her lips.

Her peak took her completely by surprise, her toes curling in an involuntary reaction. She bit her lower lip to stop the sound that threatened to alert everyone in the forest what they were up to. He continued the punishing pace, pushing her through each exquisite wave of pleasure. Pressing her face into his shoulder again, she found herself repeating his name again and again like a prayer.

Tom was not far behind her, a few more unsteady thrusts before he too was chasing her over that cliff. "Hermione," he breathed her name into her hair, holding her tightly against his body.

The forest was still and all that she could focus on was the rapid tattoo of their breathing, the pace of her heart still pounding against him and the mirroring percussion she could feel under his skin. They both came back into themselves, slowly.

Reluctantly, Hermione slipped off of him, only to sit beside him. Her head tipped to the side until it rested against him. She pulled her dress back down around her legs, desperately wishing for a cleansing charm, while Tom righted his trousers. Pressing his hands to his legs, he stood up, before offering her his hand to help her stand.

She took his hand, only to gasp in surprise when he pulled her against him once more. He caught her lips in a passionate kiss once again, only to pull away. "That was much better than any Divination," he told her. "Though, one day, I would rather like to see you without a stitch of clothing on you."

Hermione could feel her cheeks flush pink, but she nodded in agreement. She didn't regret what they had done, but she could admit that she would have rather had it happen in a bed. Perhaps then they wouldn't have to part so soon.

As it was, they had to return to the clearing. Nearly all of the wizards had returned by the time that they got back. If anyone knew what they had done, they kept their mouths shut this time, not wanting to cross Tom or Hermione.

She found her wand where she'd left it at the table as well as an empty lantern at her spot. "What is this for?" she asked, picking it up.

"You take a flame from the bonfire when you leave to light your own hearth," Tom explained, picking up his own lantern. "Would you like to head back now?"

Her body overcome with a certain sluggishness, Hermione nodded. They walked to the bonfire together, before each collecting an ember to take home. She was secretly pleased that they had let her join in this tradition, finding the communal aspect quite surprising for a group of rich purebloods.

Thanking Alfie for his hospitality and extracting a promise that there were no more tricks waiting for her in the woods, Hermione and Tom made the walk back through the forest to the Nott's home. Once there they shared one last lingering kiss before going their separate ways.

No promise was needed to ensure they would see each other again. They were one.